1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a loading car for receiving, conveying and discharging bulk material onto a bulk material freight car, which comprises an elongated machine frame, undercarriages supporting the machine frame on a track for mobility therealong in an operating direction, and an inclined, elongated conveyor band arrangement for the bulk material, the conveyor band arrangement being mounted on the machine frame and having a lower receiving end including a hopper arranged to receive bulk material for upward conveyance by the conveyor band arrangement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Democratic Republic patent No. 95,026 discloses a loading car comprising a machine frame supported by undercarriages on a track and an inclined, elongated conveyor band having a lower receiving end arranged to receive bulk material for upward conveyance. Hoppers are mounted above the lower receiving end and below the upper discharge end of the conveyor band. The hopper mounted below the conveyor band discharge end is vertically spaced sufficiently from the machine frame to permit a car on the machine frame to be driven under this hopper for being loaded with the bulk material discharged therefrom. This arrangement requires the car to be loaded, for example a power shovel, to be lifted onto the machine frame and cannot be used for loading a vehicle running on the same track as the loading car.
German patent No. 2,751,858 discloses an apparatus for excavating ballast. This apparatus comprises a machine frame supported for mobility on a track and a power shovel arranged on the rear end of the machine frame for excavating ballast and sub-soil after the track ties have been removed. An inclined conveyor band arrangement having a lower receiving end is mounted on the machine frame for receiving the ballast and sub-soil from the power shovel and for conveying it upwardly. This lower conveyor arrangement receiving end is supported on the track and has a special hopper with a displaceable end wall for discharging the bulk material received from the power shovel to the conveyor band. The structure of this apparatus is quite complicated.
Austrian patent No. 361,978 discloses a car designed to climb steep hills. It comprises a first frame supported on undercarriages and a second frame pivoted to the first frame for pivoting about a transverse axis. A vertical adjustment drive connects the second frame to the first frame for raising the second frame from the first frame by pivoting about the transverse axis.
Published European patent applications Nos. 206,590 and 368,046 disclose track-bound freight cars for bulk material, which comprise inclined conveyor bands for conveying the bulk material.